Having been on both sides of the aisle on this one, I can definitely say that communication is key. It's very irksome as an FC leader or officer to see someone up and leave without a word -- if some member is being a jerk to you, for instance, the leadership of the FC generally wants to know about that! A simple tell of, "Hey, this isn't working out for me" is all it takes. It's also possible the leadership can address whatever problem you're having, too. If people are using slurs in a chat and that's against the rules, the leadership surely wants to know that so they can put a stop to it.
If your character's involved in the plots of the group, most leaders will be willing to help you write them back out -- or maybe you can stay involved, just as a non-member. Every group differs in how well that works; a strict military organization, for instance, probably doesn't have room for non-members in its stories, while a casual society of adventurers might well have a whole list of friends they call on for their plots.
If you're not sure things are going to work out, I would start before joining by approaching the leadership and explaining your concerns, rather than going through whatever app process there is and potentially leaving later. Most groups are going to be perfectly fine with setting up some RP and seeing how things play out. By way of example, right now Mysterium has two apps "on hold" while we and the applicants see how the RP goes with the characters in question. They might be resolved by the characters joining fully, just ending up as Dear Friends with the IC linkpearl, or perhaps even going their separate ways. This isn't even remotely abnormal for us; we have no problem "RPing someone in" over time -- no app required. If you're concerned about OOC issues, many groups have an LS for their friends and allies where you can get to know people first.
So, the long and short of it is, communication with the group's leadership from the get-go is key. If the leaders don't want to talk to you, or you don't feel they're addressing your concerns, you can always walk away.
If your character's involved in the plots of the group, most leaders will be willing to help you write them back out -- or maybe you can stay involved, just as a non-member. Every group differs in how well that works; a strict military organization, for instance, probably doesn't have room for non-members in its stories, while a casual society of adventurers might well have a whole list of friends they call on for their plots.
If you're not sure things are going to work out, I would start before joining by approaching the leadership and explaining your concerns, rather than going through whatever app process there is and potentially leaving later. Most groups are going to be perfectly fine with setting up some RP and seeing how things play out. By way of example, right now Mysterium has two apps "on hold" while we and the applicants see how the RP goes with the characters in question. They might be resolved by the characters joining fully, just ending up as Dear Friends with the IC linkpearl, or perhaps even going their separate ways. This isn't even remotely abnormal for us; we have no problem "RPing someone in" over time -- no app required. If you're concerned about OOC issues, many groups have an LS for their friends and allies where you can get to know people first.
So, the long and short of it is, communication with the group's leadership from the get-go is key. If the leaders don't want to talk to you, or you don't feel they're addressing your concerns, you can always walk away.
The Freelance Wizard
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))
Quality RP at low, low prices!
((about me | about L'yhta Mahre | L'yhta's desk | about Mysterium, the Ivory Tower: a heavy RP society of mages))